Happy day of love to you and yours

Wishing a magical and memorable Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones

Happy Friendship Day!

Friendship day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards, but by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually it died out completely. However, in 1998 Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations (believe it or not!), and in April 2011 the United Nations officially recognised 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August!

According to the Friendship Day declaration, we are invited to “observe this day in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities”.

[source: daysoftheyear.com]

Earn your stars.... Sea stars

Do you (or a young girl in your life) love mermaids, sea creatures and the world beneath the waves?  L'il Mermaids (ages 13-17) who participate in Siren School's Poise & Porpoise program earn Sea Stars by sharing their love of the oceans, helping to promote care for nature and its creatures, and volunteering with aquatic-conservation groups in your local area.  The most active L'il Mermaids will be invited to apply for Junior Counselor positions at our Merminion & Mermaiden camps. 

$39 annually includes: 

• Siren School enrollment
• Participation in Plunder rewards program and the ability to earn ducats
• Monthly Li’l Mermaids feel-good activities
• Volunteens opportunities to earn Sea Stars – 5 ‘points’ = 1 sea star… think about it *wink* - Examples: Serving as Captain of a local Shared Treasure Hunt activity; volunteering with your local aquarium or ocean-conservation group
•  Eligibility to start a local cove (chapter), the junior version of the salon/salonniere program
• Dance Divas theme dance classes, promoting self-esteem, confidence, grace & generosity of spirit
• Inclusion in the closed Li’l Mermaids Poise & Porpoise group on Facebook

Enroll in Poise & Porpoise here

$39

Campfire Scout's Dream Cake

Have you ever had to cancel a campfire due to disagreeable weather?
This magnificent creation from Sweetapolita will wow and win over scouts of all ages and make them forget all about camping

Campfire Delight: 6-Layer Belgian Chocolate & Toasted Marshmallow Cake
Yield: One 6-layer, 8-inch round cake

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Layer Cake:

• 2-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (330 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (135 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups (360 mL) strong black coffee, hot
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) pure vanilla extract

For the Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:

• 1 lb butter (4 sticks)(2 cups)(454 g), at room temperature
• 4 cups (500 g) icing sugar (confectioners' or powdered), sifted
• 3/4 cup (75 g) Ovaltine Classic (brown in colour)
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz (250 g) quality Belgian chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) whipping (35% fat) cream
• For the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:
• 16 large white marshmallows
• 1 cup (125 g) icing sugar (confectioners' or powdered), sifted
• 1 cup butter (227 g)(2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
• 1 jar (213 g) marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff)

Instructions

For the Chocolate Layer Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 8" round cake pans (butter, line bottom with parchment paper, butter paper, dust with flour).
2. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork.
3. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer). Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. (Batter will be thin.)
4. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Continue to bake until toothpick or skewer comes almost clean (a few crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
5. For the Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:
6. In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.
7. Add malt powder, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
8. Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute.
9. Best used right away.

For the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:

1. Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on lower rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, between 30-60 seconds. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden brown. (Be sure to keep an eye on them--they burn very quickly.)
2. In an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter and icing sugar on low until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix on med-high for about 3 minutes.
3. Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute.
4. Assembly of the Campfire Delight Cake:
5. On an 8"inch round cake board (or cake plate), put a small dollop of frosting. Cut your 3 cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 6 layers.
6. Place your first layer face-up on the board (or plate) and cover with an even layer of the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting, leaving about 1/2" around the edge. Place another cake layer face-up and repeat with Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting.
7. Repeat until you come to your final layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume.
8. Frost entire outside of cake with remaining Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting.

Notes
*To create the swirled frosting effect, place chilled cake with thin layer of frosting on a piece of wax paper on a cake turntable, and add remaining frosting to create a fairly smooth finish with a medium palette knife (straight, not offset). Then, with your dominant hand, hold palette knife with a medium-firm pressure at about a 45° angle starting at bottom of cake, and with your other hand slowly spin turntable while keeping your palette knife against cake at at all times, then gradually directing the palette knife upwards until you get to the top. Finish with same technique on top. If you aren't happy with your attempt, this frosting is so satiny, that you can smooth it over and try again.

[malted chocolate frosting adapted from Williams-Sonoma]

Fangy, Filled Fun at the Breakfast Table

Delight the little life-suckers under foot with Jam-Filled Vampire Pancakes.
[from BakingBites.com]

"I suspect that vampires aren’t big breakfast-eaters. They’re probably more of the midnight snack type. This is precisely why I was inspired, as I was looking for a late-night snack during an evening of pre-Halloween scary movie watching, to make these vampire pancakes. These are buttermilk pancakes made with a red, raspberry jam filling that oozes out when you cut in for a bite. 

The pancakes are quite easy to make. You start with a fairly standard pancake batter with a little bit of vanilla extract thrown in and pour some onto a preheated griddle. Next, you add a dollop of raspberry (or other red-colored) jam to the center of the pancake as it cooks. It’s a good idea to try and spread out the jam as you place it on the pancake, even putting several little dollops. At this stage, the pancake batter is too delicate to stand up to being spread with jam, and it’s really nice if the jam fills up as much of the pancake as possible. Top the jam with some more batter to cover it completely and cook as you would a regular pancake. 

When the pancakes were fresh off the griddle and the jam was still warm, they were moist and tender, with a nice ooze to the filling. You can taste the vanilla and buttermilk in the pancakes alongside the jam. These pancakes were sweet enough that they didn’t need any additional syrup or toppings before serving, but whipped cream might be a nice touch if you want to serve a little on the side. 

I used the same technique that I’ve used on my Vampire Cupcakes and Vampire Cookies to add bite marks to these pancakes before serving. I’m sure that any vampires out there would approve, even if they might prefer a different flavor of filling for their portion."

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract approx 1/3 cup red jam of your choice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 
2. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla. 
3. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 
4. Preheat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan to medium-high. 
5. When a drop of water skitters on the surface, it is ready. 
6. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. 
7. Place about 3 tsp jam in the center of the pancake. 
8. Cover with a bit more pancake batter – just enough to hide the jam. 
9. Cook until first side is golden, then flip and brown the second side. 
10. To make vampire bites, use a toothpick to make fang marks and mark each with a drop of jam. 
11. Serve immediately. 

 Serves 3-4

Pudding in Paradise

This tropical island deliciousness is sure to make waves. Not only is it an instant vacation, but just about the most whimsical dessert in the Pacific. [source: TasteOfHome.com] 

Prep: 30 min. + chilling
Yield: 12-16 Servings

Ingredients 

• 3 packages (3 ounces each) berry blue gelatin 
• 2 cups boiling water 
• 2-1/2 cups cold water 
• 4 tablespoons fish-shaped gummy candies, divided 
• 2 cups cold milk 
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 
• 1 medium lime 
• 2 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 round wooden toothpick 
• 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs 
• 6 whole allspice 
• 1 disposable cup (2-ounce size) 
• Fresh blueberries and additional gummy candies, optional 

Directions 

1. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Pour into a 6-cup ring mold coated with cooking spray. Add 2 tablespoons gummy candies. Chill for 1 hour. Stir in remaining candies. Chill for 1-2 hours or until set. 
2. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding. Cover and chill until ready to use. 
3. To make palm tree leaves, cut lime in half; remove and discard pulp. Place lime halves, cut side down, on a cutting board. With a pencil, sketch five leaves from bottom to top on each half. Cut out leaves, leaving center intact; make little cuts to create a palm leaf appearance. To create a base for the trees, turn disposable cup upside down; cut two small slits in the bottom. Insert a cinnamon stick in each slit for tree trunks. Break toothpick in half. Insert pointed ends into center of lime halves; insert broken ends into cinnamon sticks. 
4. Unmold gelatin onto 12-in. serving platter. Place cup in the center of gelatin ring. Spoon vanilla pudding over cup, filling center of ring. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs for sand. Place allspice at base of trees for coconuts (discard allspice before serving). 
5. Garnish with blueberries and additional gummy fish if desired. 

Nutritional Facts 
1 serving (1 each) equals 78 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 118 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Crafty Gypsies & their Gypsy Crafts

"Gypsies are nomadic people found all over the world. Gypsy groups travel in caravans, setting up camp when they can find a place to rest. They are often very skilled crafters who are good with their hands, as one way they may make a living is by selling crafts. Also, since gypsies are often poor, they learn to be creative and make due with what they have. Gypsy crafts are fun to make, for yourself or as gifts, and have an exotic flair." By Mackenzie Wright, eHow Contributor 

Gypsy Lanterns

• Collect some glass bell jars or jelly jars. Get some scrap fabric that is light weight, such as a lightweight cotton or silk.
• Measure around the jar with a tape measure. Divide the number by four, and add one. The number you calculate is how wide your fabric strips should be.
• Measure the length of your jar. Add three--this is the length your fabric strips should be. When you cut the fabric strips, taper the bottom three inches into points.
• Place two strips on top of each other with the wrong sides together. Stitch down one side, about ½ inch from the edge, from the top to the point.
• Place the other two strips on top of each other, wrong sides together. Stitch down one side, about ½ inch, from the edge, from top to point.
• Stitch the two pieces together, wrong sides facing each other. This will create a sleeve for the jar. Slip the jar into the sleeve. Use a hot glue gun to attach the fabric to the top outside rim of the jar.
• Wrap 20-gauge wire around the top of the jar rim securely. Use needle-nose pliers to bend back the ends of the wires to create hooks and hook them together.
• Take a six- to eight-inch strip of wire and create a handle. Make two hooks at the ends with your pliers and hook them on the wire around the jar mouth. Place a candle in your gypsy lantern, light it and hang it.

Beaded Bangle Bracelet

• Hold your hand as you would if you were putting on a tight bracelet. Measure around the widest part of your hand with a tape measure. Add 1/4 inch to the measurement. Cut a strip of 14-gauge wire to that size.
• Take a round aluminum can. Wrap your wire around it to give it a curve. Use a rubber or plastic and tap the wire around the can to help it maintain the shape.
• Take a needle nose pliers and bend back the end of the wire on one side like a small hook. String stylish beads on your wire.

Give Mom Flowers That Will Never Wilt

Mothers Day and flowers go together like peanut butter and jelly... ooey gooey peanut butter and jelly that Mom spends the better part of the day cleaning up after the wee ones have manhandled half the house with sticky hands.  While floral blooms are always beautiful and appreciated, sadly, they eventually droop and must go bye-bye.  Why not give Mom flowers she can keep for ages, and actually use?

Behold the flower pen!  You can gift it in a neat little pen-holder pot, and Mom will most likely think of you every time she uses it to write yet another check on your behalf.

Supplies: 

• Flowers (Cut down the stems ahead of time with some wire cutters or garden pruning shears; the flowers should be 8″ – 10″ or so)
• 3″ terra cotta flower pots
• Floral tape
• Coffee beans
• Ballpoint pens (without their caps)
• Optional: paint & paint brush for the flower pots (the pots shown here have been painted white)

Directions:

Be sure to cover up the bottom of your pot from the inside so that none of the beans escape.  This is easily done with either tape or paper

Line up the pen with the flower, leaving the tip of the pen just a little lower than the flower stem. Begin taping with a strip of floral tape, starting near the tip of the pen and moving up.

Floral tape is stretchy, so stretch it a little as you are wrapping it around the pen and flower, and wrap the two tightly. Keep wrapping all the way until you get to the top of the pen – be sure to cover up the end of it with the tape.

Once you are done taping your flower pens, insert them into the pots and you are done. You can do one pen per pot, or put several pens in one pot. Both options look pretty. You might also add some leaves or other decorations.

[source: CharlottesFancy.com]

The Mouse's Mint Julep Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tsp lime juice concentrate
• 3 cups club soda
• 6 Tbsp creme de menthe syrup (not liqueur)
• 6 oz thawed lemonade concentrate
• mint leaves
• pineapple slices
• maraschino cherries
• bamboo skewers

METHOD
Dissolve sugar into club soda. Add lime juice and lemonade and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add creme de menthe. Chill.

To serve, combine 3 parts syrup to 5 parts water. Add mint, and skewer two pineapple slices and a cherry. Serve chilled (add ice cubes if necessary).

Makes approximately 2/3 gallon

No need to turn blue... the wait is over

"Can you turn into a mermaid on a blue moon?"

That is a question I recently saw posted on WikiAnswers.  And that is not the first time I have seen that concept float by.  The good news is that would-be little mermaids need never wait for a full moon again to experience the joys of mermaidenhood.  

Siren School offers Mermaid Camps to merminions ages 8-12 and mermaidens ages 13-17.  Here you will flip your fins, learn mer-language, do sea crafts, and basically dive into the mermaid life.

In addition to mermaid events, Siren School will offer fairy and other magical experiences for young ladies.  

All in-house camp events are based in coastal Long Beach, California.  But if a group of 8 or more young ladies would like to pod together, the camp experience can travel to where you are!

For details, visit the L'il Mermaids camp page. 

Put a Christmas Sock in It!... or vice versa

Avast ye scurvy dogs, not so fast.  Where der ya think ye be goin'.  The holidays not be over yet.  There still be plenty of time to share yer treasure with captain kids who have no booty of their own.... nor even a ship to sail on to call home.


So grab ye one of them thar Christmas Stockings and fill it with 12 items, one for each day of the twelve days of Christmas.  We be delivering them on January 5th -- that be the final day of the Christmas season, and a day when most kids'll be thinkin their holiday luck and loot have already run run out.


Well don't just sit there.... start collecting yer 12 bits of treasure to share... scoot!  Or I'll be tying ye to the mizzen mast!


And be sure to stop by ye olde Facebook page to tell of yer victory... there be a pint of grape grog waiting fer ye there.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Puppy Treats

This weekend PetSmart is holding a 3-day Pet Adoption to find homes for furry friends in need of family.  Here is a little seasonal something to give to a four-legged love muffin of your choosing


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

Nutritional Information 
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 56 | Total Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 17mg


from AllRecipes.com

Shared Treasure Hunt

Avast ye scallywags, there's treasure to be found... and shared!
What could be more fun than a Scavenger Hunt?  How about a Treasure Hunt?  Better yet, how about a treasure hunt where you can share your treasure and excitement with others? That's what Shared Treasure Hunt is all about -- kids helping kids, specifically kids delivering treasure to other kids who don't have much in the way of treasure of their own, let alone a place or home to put it in.
You too can join in the adventure by participating in our Black Jack Friday event.  Just collect 21 items to deliver to a homeless child around your own age on Friday Nov 25, 2011.

You may go door to door in your neighborhood, ask your parents to put up a flyer at their office, post on Facebook.... any and every way you can think of to collect the best goodies possible. Please try to include one item from each of the following categories, if you can:

1. Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, hand sanitizer, lip balm, deodorant 
2. Treats: trail mix, packaged cookies & munchies, gum, mints, candy
3. Creative supplies: sketch or coloring books, pens, pencils, crayons, journal, stickers 
4. Stuffed animals 
5. Reads: books, magazines 
6. Toys: cars, dolls, anything you yourself would like 
7. Night night: pajamas, blanket, pillow, flashlight 
8. Games: playing cards, board games, checkers/chess 
9. Clothing: sweatshirt/hoodie, socks, gloves, scarf, undies, hat 
10. Hair stuff: brush, products & accessories 
11. Shoes 
12. Fun in the sun: swim suit, towel, sunscreen, frisbee, beach ball, swim goggles 
13. Glug glug: water, juice, powdered milk 
14. Creature comforts: collapsable chair, umbrella, tarp 
15. Oooohs: mp3 player, watch, jewelry, pre-paid phone 
16. Be a sport: skateboard, football, soccer ball, baseball glove/bat/ball 
17. Showtime: movie passes + popcorn, drink, etc (see if anyone has this going unused)
18. Batteries 
19. Gift card: fast food place, Target, VISA, you name it (feel free to ask a grownup for help with this one)
20. Backpack to put it all in 
21. Greeting card signed by your friends and family 

Participants who are successful in collecting and delivering their abundance of pirate booty will be recognized and cheered... how, you ask? It's a surprise! Just like all the fun stuff you will collect for the child you are sure to make smile.  Contact us on Facebook to become part of the crew.

"Trick or Treat ... and someone sweet"

Guest blog from brazenly stolen from Amy Allen Photography... cuz it was just too good not to share!

"Olivia, my 5th grader, loves Halloween. This year, Emma, my 8th grader, wasn’t so into it. She opted to go to a little gathering with close friends. 

Olivia traditionally makes her choice for the the following year’s costume the day after Halloween of the current year!  Last November 1st she announced she wanted to be a ‘vintage bride.’ 

Right up my ally! I love vintage stuff and knew we had a lot of work ahead of us! We started collecting items: the dress, purse, veil, etc..in August. The day of trick-or-treating, she asked if I could do a photo shoot, a sort of ‘getting ready’ shoot. I, of course, jumped at this rare opportunity (my children have been so ‘over’ getting their pics taken for years now). 

We started with the details, getting the dress on and ending with a full-length shot, as I do with all of my beautiful brides! 

It was a very surreal moment in time for me, I must say. I had a sort of flash-forward to proms, dances and yes…her wedding day. I realized how my job as a wedding photographer has made me a sucker for the details and especially the moments. I was amazed at how she wanted to do various poses and was very particular in the way she moved her head and body. 

I didn’t say anything. I just documented."

Halloween Appetizer Treats: Deviled Eyeballs

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen hard boiled eggs 
• Mayonnaise
• 24 green olives with pimentos
• Pinch of Dry Yellow Mustard
• Salt to taste
• Toothpicks
• Red Food Coloring (paste is best)

Directions:

1. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl. Set whites aside for a moment.
2. Mash egg yolks with fork. Mix in mayonnaise, onion powder, mustard and salt. Stir well. Place 1 teaspoon of mixture in each half of egg whites.
3. Push a green olive into the center of the egg yolk mixture, making sure the red pimento is "looking" out.
4. Dip toothpick in red food coloring and make "red veins" in the yolk mixture.

(http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-appetizers-eyeballs.shtml)

Low Fuss, High Fun, No-Bake Buckeyes

No-bake peanut butter treats with chocolate coating..... mmmmmmm
The holidays are THE time for baking, and kids wanna be part of the foodie fun.  Here is a quick and easy recipe to whip up some holiday cheer. After all, November is National Peanut Butter Month... yea! 


Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Peanut Butter 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels (1-1/4 cups = 7-1/2 oz)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

1. Blend peanut butter, butter, salt, and confectioner's sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Mixture will be stiff. Line sheet pan with wax paper. Roll peanut butter mixture into small, bite-size balls, about 3/4-inch round. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
2. Place morsels and shortening in top of double boiler with simmering water in the bottom. Melt ingredients over medium-low heat; blend well. Remove from heat.
3. Insert wooden pick into top of chilled peanut butter ball. Dip into melted chocolate, leaving only the top 1/4 of peanut butter ball uncovered for typical "buckeye" appearance. Place coated side on prepared sheet pan. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Place in airtight container; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

from the Peter Pan company

Venn Anfralustro... now you know how to say Good Morning in Faerie

there it is in its original language - 'Good Morning' in Naturim, the language of the Amadii

There has always always been some sort of way for kids (especially girls) to jabber while in the company of adults without the adults understanding a darn word that is being said.

Ememberay Igpay Atinlay?  Not making heads or tales of this gibberish? Ask a Baby Boomer to translate.

Hivow ivabivout Ivivy Tivalk?.... Same?.... In this case, consult a Gen X-er.

Today's youth have relied on text & IM acronyms at their disposal when trying to pull a fast one on their elders.  But then those self same elders found the social network pot o gold, Facebook, and learned how to text in order to keep tabs on their kids and now OMG they can cyberspeak with the best of 'em LOL... J/K kids are still much better at it.  Either way, the parents of today clearly know too much.  So how then to conspire right under their noses?

Go old school.  I mean reeeeeeeeeeeeeally old.  Yep, way before this millenium!  Hard to believe there was life then, huh.  Actually, I am talking about going somewhere around 'oneu-annen sekkls' before the dawn of of the Common Age - to the time of the Amadii, the sea folk of Amadun.  Described as nymphs, elves, faeries, you name it, their language had a little bit of everything, and looks to have links to the later Romance Languages.  Though only a few thousand words of it have been discovered so far, the Amadii language, Naturim, boasts a rich and logical alphabet and numeric system.  The words tend to run long, but the same can be said of Ent..... or Dutch for that matter!

So if you want to confound and confuse previous generations, by all means, learn Naturim.... that is unless you spend a lot of time with old sea nymphs from Amadun!

Have a 'potenn lum,'
[great day]

Lily

P.S. Naturim classes will be taught as part of Siren School's Fae Folk camps in 2012

Flutter-By Cupcakes

Butterfly Cupcakes 

Ingredients

• 1 quantity basic cupcakes (see recipe below)
• 1 cup raspberry jam
• 300ml thickened cream, whipped
• icing sugar mixture, to decorate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Line two 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Make basic cupcakes (see below)
2. Using a sharp knife, cut a 2cm-deep x 3cm-wide piece from top of each cake. Cut tops in half. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam into each hole. Spoon cream over jam. Arrange cake tops over cream to form wings. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Yield
24

Notes

• For 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans use 2 level tablespoons of mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
• Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Basic Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

• 200g butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (370g) caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups (405g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk

Butter Frosting

• 200g butter, softened
• 6 cups (900g) icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 24 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pans with patty cases.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined. Add the flour and milk in alternate batches and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Spoon mixture evenly among the patty cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until very pale. Gradually add the icing sugar while beating. Add the milk and beat until well combined.
5. Divide frosting into small bowls and colour. Use a small palette knife or round-bladed knife to spread the icing.

Bully for You....... NOT!

Nobody likes a bully.
As such, you would think no one would want to be labeled as one.
Yet they are cropping up faster than Farmville strawberries.
And their homebase is not the local diner or 7-11, it is cyberspace.


Wikipedia i.e. the people's encyclopedia, defines this rampant unseemly practice: 

Cyber-bullying has been defined as "when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person". Other researchers use similar language to describe the phenomenon. 

Cyber-bullying can be as simple as continuing to send e-mail to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it may also include threats, sexual remarks, pejorative labels (i.e., hate speech), ganging up on victims by making them the subject of ridicule in forums, and posting false statements as fact aimed at humiliation. 

Cyber-bullies may disclose victims' personal data (e.g. real name, address, or workplace/schools) at websites or forums or may pose as the identity of a victim for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames or ridicules them. Some cyber-bullies may also send threatening and harassing emails and instant messages to the victims, while other post rumors or gossip and instigate others to dislike and gang up on the target. 

Kids report being mean to each other online beginning as young as 2nd grade. According to research, boys initiate mean online activity earlier than girls do. However, by middle school, girls are more likely to engage in cyber-bullying than boys do. Whether the bully is male or female, their purpose is to intentionally embarrass others, harass, intimidate, or make threats online to one another. This bullying occurs via email, text messaging, posts to blogs, and Web sites. 

This epidemic affected as many as 43% of American teens in just one year.  58% of kids say that they have received hurtful messages online, and 40% say it has happened more than once.


What makes this form of bullying even more cowardly and insidious than the traditional in-person locker-side gang-up is the fact that the villains can attack their prey anonymously or using faux accounts and names... and en masse.


The effects on targets/victims include depression, retaliation and even suicide


So there's the problem, but where's the prevention?  StopCyberBullying.org offers this advice: 

Education can help considerably in preventing and dealing with the consequences of cyberbullying. The first place to begin an education campaign is with the kids and teens themselves. We need to address ways they can become inadvertent cyberbullies, how to be accountable for their actions and not to stand by and allow bullying (in any form) to be acceptable. We need to teach them not to ignore the pain of others.

Teaching kids to “Take 5!” before responding to something they encounter online is a good place to start. Jokingly, we tell them to “Drop the Mouse! And step away from the computer and no one will get hurt!” We then encourage them to find ways to help them calm down. 

They can even let others know that they won’t allow cyberbullying, supporting the victim, making it clear that they won’t be used to torment others and that they care about the feelings of others is key. 

For more information on putting an end to the meanness and madness, visit CyberBullying.us, the National Crime Prevention Council, CyberBullying.org, or KidsHealth.